Tag Archives: Johnston MS

HISD Board of Education to consider resolution beginning process of renaming certain schools

The Houston Independent School District Board of Education on Thursday is expected to consider a resolution that would begin the process of renaming schools in order to represent the values and diversity of the school district, in accordance with the district’s non-discrimination policies.

The resolution was brought forward by Board President Rhonda Skillern-Jones. It would affect eight schools: Henry Grady, Richard Dowling, Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, Albert Sidney Johnston, and Sidney Lanier middle schools, and Jefferson Davis, John Reagan, and Lee high schools. Continue reading →

Johnston MS student’s story published on Teen Ink website

Sandy Ramirez, an eighth-grader at HISD’s Johnston Middle School, became a published author recently when one of her short stories was selected for inclusion on the youth-driven website, Teen Ink.

“Isaac the Element” was the very first thing she wrote in teacher Mark Dostert’s unit on short fiction, and it was included in the “realistic fiction” category on the Teen Ink website. Sandy said she wrote it “to express my empathy to children whose parents argue and fight.”

You can read the full entry here.

Johnston MS students publish inaugural anthology of art, writing

LiterARTGreyhound_300Almost 100 works by 80 different students featured in The LiterART Greyhound

A team of four educators led by a self-published author has given the gift of literary immortality to 80 students at Johnston Middle School.

The LiterART Greyhound: 2015 officially went up for sale on May 4, through Amazon’s self-publishing arm, CreateSpace.

“As a performing and visual arts school, self-expression is important, and we try to do anything we can to fuel students’ passion for it,” explained campus network specialist Ches Smith. “The process is fairly simple and virtually free if you’re willing to do all the work yourself. And it occurred to me that it would be a great experience for our students if they could see themselves in print.”

Continue reading →

Johnston MS student named myON’s second ‘Reader Leader’

Robert Edmond

Robert Edmond

Robert Edmond, a sixth-grader at Johnston Middle School, has been named the second “Reader Leader” by myON for logging the most time spent reading on that website during a particular month.

Alfredo read for 13 hours and eight minutes on myON in March. He also completed 109 books and took their accompanying quizzes.

As a part of his prize, Robert received a laptop (with computer case) from Muses3, LLC, the representative of myON in southeast Texas.

“This was another very tight race,” said Linda Bessmer, managing partner of Muses3. “Robert’s teacher, Wilfred Dacus, instituted a myON Camp for his Life Skills students, where they spent concentrated time reading on myON, and several other Johnston students were only minutes away from the leader’s record, with elementary students close behind.”

Robert was formally recognized during a special ceremony held on his campus April 10.

Photo courtesy Muses3, LLC.

Student wins recognition, concert tickets through Reliant

Front row (L to R): Elizabeth Bandercan, German Lerma's soccer coach at Johnston, and one of his teachers, Kristen Aust. Back row (L to R): Rainatu Gabisi, Yolanda Guillory, and Sid Evans from Reliant; winner German Lerman; nominating teacher Lanena Berry; Johnston teacher William Aust; and Johnston MS Assistant Principal Claran Johnson.

Front row (L to R): Elizabeth Bandercan, German Lerma’s soccer coach at Johnston, and one of his teachers, Kristen Aust. Back row (L to R): Rainatu Gabisi, Yolanda Guillory, and Sid Evans from Reliant; winner German Lerma; nominating teacher Lanena Berry; Johnston teacher William Aust; and Johnston MS Assistant Principal Claran Johnson.

An HISD student recently was named a grand prize winner in the Reliant Student Recognition Program. Johnston Middle School student German Lerma was selected for his academic achievement, outstanding citizenship, and improved academic performance.

Lerma was nominated by his principal, teachers, and parents. For this honor, he received four premier tickets to see the Fallout Boys in concert at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo on March 8.

Continue reading →

HISD students participate in first-ever UH Special Olympics Basketball Camp

Basketballs were flying around the Hofheinz Pavilion on Nov. 10, as more than 50 HISD students with special needs got to meet and play basketball with coaches and student-athletes from the University of Houston (UH) men’s basketball program.

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For the first UH Special Olympics Basketball Camp, Cougar coaches and players set up six stations on the pavilion’s basketball court, and middle-school students practiced shooting, dribbling, passing, and other fundamentals. Continue reading →

Pin Oak MS wins first UIL middle school tournament of year

More than 500 middle school students spent their Saturday at Hamilton Middle School on Oct. 25, competing in the first University Interscholastic League (UIL) Middle School tournament of the 2014–2015 season.

Students from 15 schools competed: Attucks, Baylor College of Medicine Academy at Ryan, Black, Burbank, Clifton, Cullen, Fondren, Hamilton, Johnston, Pershing, Pin Oak, Revere and Mickey Leland College Preparatory Academy for Young Men.

Pin Oak Middle School was declared the sweepstakes champion, with Mickey Leland College Prep winning second place and Black MS taking home third.

Here are the individual results: Continue reading →

Johnston MS dancers to perform at Jones Hall Oct. 10 with MOMIX

Two dozen Johnston Middle School students will be appearing at Jones Hall on Oct. 10 as a part of the MOMIX show scheduled for 7 p.m. that evening.

Over the summer, students Laura Anawaty, Isabella Clasen, and Kira Daniel (all from Johnston Middle School), Destinee Gonzalez (a Johnston alumna now attending Lamar High School), and a group from High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, participated in a choreography residency at the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston, through an arrangement with the prestigious New York-based dance company, Jessica Lang Dance, and the Society for the Performing Arts, Houston.

The students worked directly with Jessica Lang and members of the dance company on choreography and methods of producing interesting movement. The residency culminated in a performance on the Kaplan Theatre stage.

Surprise! Shearn ES students find new program, meet the superintendent

Shearn Elementary School is one of 14 HISD schools launching the school year today as a dual-language campus, with instruction in both English and Spanish, and students had a special visitor this morning.

Dr. Terry Grier dropped in as the school day began to greet students and parents, and to pump up their enthusiasm for dual-language. “I sure wish we had this when I was in school,” Grier told a trio of fifth-grade school leaders who guided him on a tour of Shearn.

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Marques Foster was delighted to hear about the new program. “I really want to learn Spanish,” she said. “I know it’s important to have more than one language.” Continue reading →